The Adventure of a Lifetime
by theshiningemerald16
Summary: Ever since the whole planet had discovered what she had been up to for the past six years, Princess Emerald Winter has been dubbed as an improper princess. But then, Emerald had to return to the world of voyages to save her planet from complete bankruptcy. She joins the crew of the R.L.S Legacy on a voyage to Treasure Planet. Here, she meets Jim, and develops feelings for him.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: The Dark Depths of Her Past. **Emerald Juliet Winter**

The crew frantically salvaged all that they could save. The crew members quickly gathered in groups as they boarded the lifeboats. The ship was going to blow any minute now. There was clearly no hope for it.

However, inside the engine room of the certain ship, a small group of people was left behind. They were the only brave ones left on the ship, for they still tried their best to fix the problem in the ship's engine. There were four men, who were either attaching wires or unscrewing certain parts of the machinery. None of them were human, though. One was a doglike creature. Another was a moose. The third guy is a squishy thing with four eyes, while the last dude was a robot. One of the members of this group is a beautiful young human lady. Her long caramel coloured hair was braided down her back. Her emerald green eyes shone with courage and determination. Her beautiful, fair face was sticky with sweat, yet she didn't seem to mind. The navy blue suit she wore determined her rank in the ship. The lady was unscrewing a huge bulky part of the machinery.

The moose humanoid looked at her. "Captain, have you given the orders for systematic evacuation?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Johnson," the lady said without looking up from her work. "I have given them orders several minutes ago."

The squishy guy ran to the captain. His face is grimy, and his hands were soiled. He sighed and said, "Captain, I'm afraid there is no more hope. The _Nightwalker_ is going to blow."

The captain's eyes widened. She grabbed the screwdriver that the man was holding, and said, "No. It won't blow. We aren't going to give up easily, are we?" She unscrewed the last screw and pulled out the huge metal lid with all her strength.

Mr. Johnson examined the situation in the engine room. The problem is in the ship's engine itself. He shook his head and said. "He's right. Nothing we can do could stop the ship from exploding into bits of pieces. I'm afraid we'll have to leave."

The lady glared at him, her piercing green eyes searing through the man. "Then go. The crew needs you, to be able to return to our spaceport. I'll find a way to fix this."

Mr. Johnson scowled. "No, Captain. You are not a mechanic. You'll explode into bits." Without waiting for the captain's reply, he lifted her as if she was a child. "Come, men. Let's move out!"

The lady struggled. "Put me down! You have no right!"

No one listened to her. The group quickly ran up to the deck. There was one small lifeboat left. The three other men quickly got in the boat. As Mr. Johnson was about to get in the boat, the captain managed to get free. She fell to the floor, but she quickly got up and began to run back to the engine room.

"Captain!" Mr. Johnson yelled. He quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to the direction of the lifeboat.

And suddenly, the ship exploded. It was a good thing that the pair managed to jump into their lifeboat _before_ the explosion.

"It's a good thing that we managed to survive that," said the doglike man.

"You sure are right, Roger. Right, Captain?" Mr. Johnson asked. There was no response from the captain. Immediately, the men became worried about their leader. Mr. Johnson turned to face the captain. "Captain?"

The lady was sitting on the edge of the lifeboat. Grime and sweat were both present in her face, but one could see how pale her face is. She had her hand on her side. Mr. Johnson slowly moved her hand away, and saw the gruesome sight of blood. He immediately shouted to the others, "She's wounded. Give me water, medicine, anything."

He turned back to the lady. "Hold on, Captain. You're going to be alright. Hold on."

The lady's eyes closed slowly as she succumbed into the darkness.

And with that, she woke up with a start.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: A New Journey. **Emerald Juliet Winter**

"Princess?" said a soft, mellow voice.

The lady gripped her sheets tightly. Her face was sweaty, just like how she was in the dream. The difference was that her face wasn't grimy, and her sweat is very cold. The lady was shivering as she recalled what she had seen.

"My lady?" said the same mellow voice. The owner of the voice was knocking on the door, this time with more force. "Are you alright?"

The lady had only realized now that someone was outside her door. She cleared her throat, and said "Come in."

The person outside came in. She was one of the maids of the royal family. It is very awkward though that she and the princess shared striking similarities. She had the same caramel coloured hair and green eyes. Only, the maid kept her hair tucked in a lacy hat, as prescribed by their uniform.

"My lady", the maid asked. "Are you alright?"

The princess shuddered, but she tried her best to stay brave. "No. I'm alright. You need not worry about me, Sonny. I just had a nightmare."

Sonny frowned at her. "You had a nightmare about your ship again, have you, Princess?"

The lady tried to lie, but looking into Sonny's concerned eyes, the princess found it impossible to do so. "Yes," she admitted. "I've had the same nightmare for a week now. I don't know what I should do to stop it."

"Maybe," Sonny said carefully, "If we let your father contact the physician—"

"Thank you for your concern, Sonny, but I don't need my father's doctors. I don't need a psychologist. I'm not crazy," the princess said in a cold, icy tone.

The heat rose in Sonny's cheeks. "I—I—I—I didn't mean that, my lady. My apologies, for offending you."

The princess, whose name is Emerald Juliet Winter, looked at the maid. Sonny is her best friend. For some reason, it is easier to talk to her than with other rich and royal people. Emerald knew that Sonny had nothing but the princess's best intentions at heart. "No. I'm sorry, dear. I shouldn't have snapped at you. You were just trying to help."

Sonny nodded, and said. "Well, I'd better let you return to your sleep, Princess. Good night." She turned to leave.

"Sonny, wait." Emerald said.

Sonny turned uncertainly. "Yes, my lady?"

"I can't sleep. I don't want to go back to that nightmare again. Stay here. I want somebody to talk to."

Sonny blinked. "Are you sure, my lady? Your father might not like—"

"Oh father, father," Emerald said. She took a brush that was lying on her bedside table, and began to brush her hair. "Father is asleep. You need not worry. And if anyone asks, let's just say that I gave you orders to do so, and that you couldn't disobey orders."

Sonny gulped, but then she couldn't say no to her best friend. "Of course, Princess." She quickly sat on the floor.

Emerald put down her brush and laughed. "Oh no, dear. Sit on my chair. That's why chairs are made. Floors were never meant to be sat on, for that is what chairs are for." Sonny pulled out a chair, and sat next to Emerald's bed.

"Please tell me, my lady. Why did you run away? You told your parents that you are going to another planet as a scholar. You never told anyone that you were going to other PLANETS, with an additional s. And you are going there on voyages. Then, due to your hard work, you became the captain of the _Nightwalker_. You were gone for six years, my lady. Everyone knew that the princess was studying on another planet, but nobody knew that the princess was participating on voyages. Then suddenly, your ship exploded into bits. Luckily, no crew member of yours had died, although you were left severely injured. We only knew what you have been doing for six years when your crew members brought you to the hospital. You were wounded, and very close to death."

Emerald blushed. "It's just that—" She looked around uneasily. She sighed. "I want to be free. My life as a princess gives me as much freedom as a prisoner in the dungeons. I want to have a normal and adventurous life, for once. For years, I have been stuck here, reading about Literature, Mathematics, and Art. The closest thing to adventure that I ever had was trying to balance 5 books on my head for 20 minutes." She looked down at her lap, slightly ashamed. These thoughts weren't thoughts that should be in a princess's mind.

Sonny sensed that the princess was holding back something. Sonny looked Emerald at the eyes and said, "You ran away since you didn't want to marry the Prince Alton, didn't you?"

Emerald shuddered. She sighed. "What can I do, Sonny? I was scared. I don't know anything about him, and I don't even love him. I'd very much rather spend the remainder of my life as a beggar than marry him. I've heard so much negative things about him."

Sonny held her hand. "I can't blame you, my lady. I've always known that you had a reason for running away. It's not what the others say it is. Everyone else thinks that you are a rebellious and unworthy princess, yet what do they know about your situation?"

Emerald gripped her friend's hand. "Thank you so much, Sonny. I don't know what I would do without you."

The two women were silent for a while, until Sonny finally spoke up. "I heard news. It's something very big. Some guy named Dr. Delbert Doppler is hiring a crew. The crew is going on a voyage to Treasure Planet."

At the sound of the words 'Treasure Planet', Emerald immediately got up from bed, clearly excited. "Treasure Planet! I've heard about that from my crew," A spasm of pain flitted to the princess's face for a moment, but the excitement immediately replaced the pain. "The Loot of a Thousand Worlds." Emerald began to mutter incomprehensibly for a while, until her face brightened up. "Of course! That's the answer to our problems!"

Sonny blinked. "What do you mean, my lady?"

Emerald smiled at Sonny. "Why did my parents try to force me into a marriage with Prince Alton? It's because our planet's economy isn't blooming as of the moment, so we need the help of his planet, which is a very rich planet. We need financial support, Sonny." She held Sonny's hands, and swung her into a full circle. "If I manage to go there, and get sufficient riches, then I could save the kingdom without marrying."

Sonny's face turned pale. "Hold on a minute. If _you_ manage to go there? You're going out on voyages again?"

"I have to," Emerald said, determination burning in her eyes. "It's the chance to save my planet."

"Somehow," Sonny muttered, "marrying the prince seems better."

"No, it's not." Emerald said. "At least I could get an adventure if I went on that voyage. What adventure will I get if I marry the prince? Nothing. In this way, I could prove to my parents that what I had been doing for six years isn't all useless at all."

Sonny nodded. The princess is very skilled in this aspect. Pretty much, she could convince people easily. Emerald is skilled when it comes to interpersonal matters. Although Sonny strongly disapproved of the princess's plans, Sonny could already begin to see the sense in Emerald's words. "Alright, my lady, but you'll have to convince your father about this. I don't think he might agree to it, though. It's very un-ladylike in his opinion."

"I will try my best," Emerald said. "And I will succeed."

Sonny shuddered. Whenever Emerald said those words, she always kept that promise. Sonny hated to see her friend go on yet another journey, yet what could she do? She is just a maid. Even if she is of authority, Sonny could never manage to change someone who is as stubborn as Emerald Winter.

"We are going to leave in a few days. You'd better rest," Emerald told her.

Sonny was stunned. "Me? Go with you?"

Emerald smiled. "Why, of course. I doubt that Father will let me go if I will not bring someone whom he trusts. Oh, and let us also bring along Robert. Father will like it if I bring along his most trusted bodyguard."

"Robert," Sonny said. She was unaware that her cheeks were flaming red. She was silent for a while, until she realized that she had just missed something.

"Did you hear me, Sonny?" Emerald asked.

Sonny shook herself out of her reverie. "My apologies, my lady. Please repeat what you have said."

Emerald smiled. "I said good night. You better go now. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"As you say, my lady," Sonny murmured as she tried to hide her embarrassment. "Good night." She turned and left the room, wondering what will happen in the days to come.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: The Two Captains. **Emerald Juliet Winter**

It was another busy day in the Montressor spaceport. Everyone went around, accomplishing their errands. No one will pay attention to a trio of people who is looking for a ship. One of them was wearing an elegant long sleeved shirt, sleek black pants, and dark brown combat boots. The person had a cape, to hide her plaited caramel coloured hair. Emerald didn't want a fuss going on about the "improper princess" going on another voyage. Somehow, she managed to get her father's approval. Clearly, commoners flocking to the Montressor spaceport to take a look at the princess will make her father take back his approval. Sonny wasn't wearing anything extraordinary. She merely wore a red shirt, white pants, and black rubber shoes. Their companion, Robert, is a handsome young man. His bronze hair caught many people's attention. His chocolate brown eyes were bright and deep. He had a tanned, muscular body. He wore a leather jacket over a white shirt, black pants, and black boots.

"Are you even sure that the ship leaves today?" Robert asked. "It seems as if our ship is nowhere in sight."

"It's here," Emerald said. "I'm sure of it. Maybe we'll need to ask directions." She immediately approached a rhino humanoid. "Excuse me, good sir."

The rhino dude looked at her with a grunt.

"I was just wondering if you have seen the R.L.S. Legacy?" The princess asked.

Rhino dude grunted again. "Ah yes. Just go straight ahead. It is the fourth ship you will see." He scrutinized her and said. "You look like Princess Emerald, lassie."

Emerald laughed a nervous laugh, but she managed to keep her eyes on Mr. Rhino. "Thanks for the compliment, my good sir. You're the first one who said so." She glanced at her watch. Thinking fast, she said. "Oh. It's time. My brother must have arrived by now. Thank you very much. Bye."

She quickly walked away, with Sonny and Robert walking after her, before the rhino could say anything.

Soon enough, they were able to find the ship.

"It's beautiful," Robert exclaimed.

Emerald turned away, pained by the sight of the R.L.S. Legacy. It reminded her very much of the Nightwalker.

Sonny, seeing the princess's pain, patted Robert's shoulder. "Rob, the ship is beautiful and all, but we'll have to climb aboard."

Robert looked at her, wondering what she had meant. Then, he saw Emerald's face, and he understood immediately. "Alright. All aboard, then," he said.

Only when they were aboard the ship did Emerald remove her cape. The three looked around, until they saw a stone man in a red suit. His black and gold hat strikingly contrasted his skin. Since he was barking orders at the crew, he was clearly the captain, but Emerald knew better than to assume.

"Good day, my good sir," Emerald said, using the courtly tone that she had grown accustomed to.

The stone man regarded her. His eyes lit up upon seeing her. He walked to her, and bowed. "Your Majesty. It's an honor to have you aboard the R.L.S. Legacy."

Emerald smiled at him. "The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for gladly accommodating us on this fine ship. May I know your name?"

"Ah," he said. "I am Alton Arrow, at your service, Your Majesty."

Emerald winced. His namesake is her supposed-to-be fiancée. She forced a smile, and said "I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Arrow. These are my companions: Nina Sophie Willows and Robert Kane."

"Good day, Captain. It's a pleasure to meet you," Sonny and Robert said in unison.

Mr. Arrow laughed at them. "Ah, the pleasure is all mine, Ms. Willows and Mr. Kane, but you are mistaken. I am not the captain."

"You're not?" Emerald muttered. "May we have an audience with the captain, then?"

Mr. Arrow nodded. "I'll bring you to her office, then. Follow me."

The three followed Mr. Arrow. Robert smiled at the princess and said, "It seems that you aren't the only female captain, after all."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Why, of course! I have met other female captains, though none of them have reached the peak of their careers. Now, I'm looking forward to meeting this captain, who must have been very successful."

Soon, they reached a smooth, mahogany door. Mr. Arrow knocked at the door. "Captain, are you in there?"

"Mr. Arrow," said a female voice from inside. "Come in."

Mr. Arrow opened the door, and they entered the room.

The office was very neat and organized. There isn't a single speck of dust to be seen. Sonny and Robert were very much interested in the office, but the captain herself caught Emerald's attention. The captain is a feline with short auburn hair and piercing green eyes. She wore a navy blue suit, which slightly resembled Emerald's clothes when the _Nightwalker_ exploded. The catwoman was busy studying her plans for the voyage. Emerald admired the captain. She has the aura of a true leader. The princess felt that the feline is very much how a leader should act.

"Captain," Mr. Arrow said formally. "I'd like to introduce Her Royal Highness, Princess Emerald Juliet Winter; and her companions, Nina Sophie Willows and Robert Kane."

The cat woman nodded. She bowed unwillingly to Emerald. "Welcome to the R.L.S Legacy. I am Captain Amelia. You are to address me as 'Captain' or 'Ma'am'. Is it clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sonny and Robert said. However, the princess, losing all her respect for the feline, glared at Amelia. "Excuse me," Emerald said coldly. "I beg your pardon?"

Amelia regarded her coldly. "You will address me as 'Captain' or 'Ma'am' at all times, Miss Winter," she repeated. "Is there anything vague with what I have said?"

"No," Emerald snapped. "It just so happened that I refuse to comply with that rule."

"And why is that?" Amelia asked, glaring at her pointedly.

"Do you know who I am?" Emerald said. "I am Princess Emerald Juliet Winter. I am not going to call you 'Ma'am', for I am of royal birth."

"You are on my ship, under my orders," Amelia said coldly. "Therefore, I shall be addressed that way, even by royals like you."

"And secondly," Emerald said, as if she had heard nothing. "I am _not_ under your orders. I am a co-captain. Therefore, we are equal, with nobody who is above or below each other. Why should I call you 'Ma'am', if we are of the same rank?"

Amelia gave Emerald a glare that was a perfect "ten". "Listen, _Emerald_," she said. "I am here to fulfil my duty, and succeed in this voyage. I don't tolerate royal spoiled brats in here. If you are going to be a big pushover because of your royal birth, then get off my ship."

That was too much. Emerald took out her gun, and lunged at Amelia. The captain was quick, for she managed to avoid the princess. The two were a huge distance away from each other, both with a gun pointing at the other.

"Royal spoiled brat, eh?" Emerald challenged. "You don't know what this 'royal spoiled brat' could do with a gun or a sword."

"Do you want to put you skills to the test, _Your Highness_?" Amelia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm at the last two words. "Then, be my guest."

Emerald glared at her. "You do not know who you are dealing with, Amelia Smollet," Emerald threatened. "I'll have you know that for the six years that I was away; I had been busy rising up the ranks, until I am a successful captain of the _Nightwalker_. I know a lot about leading a ship's crew as much as you do; perhaps I know more."

"Then guess what?" Amelia said. "What do I care about an improper and un-ladylike princess who has allowed her ship to explode into tiny bits when I used to be a brave officer who battled with the Protean armada?"

The words stung, but Emerald knew that this feline has gone too far. Amelia Smollet may say all that she want about Emerald's improper royal attitude, but this cat should _never _blame her for being an improper captain who had abandoned her ship. Emerald, now determined to shoot, lunged at Amelia again. "I HATE YOU!" Emerald screamed.

Fortunately, Mr. Arrow managed to grab the raged princess before she could shoot. "You Highness, please."

Sonny and Robert ran to Emerald. Sonny patted Emerald's hand, and spoke in a calming voice. "My lady," Sonny said. "Please control yourself. You'll achieve nothing if you killed you co-captain."

Emerald gave Amelia a venomous look. The princess closed her eyes, calming herself. When she opened her eyes, Emerald steadied her breathing.

"Are you okay?" Robert asked her.

Emerald nodded. "When somebody slaps her cheek, a princess must turn the other cheek." She stood up, with her chin up, and an erect posture. The princess regarded Amelia coldly and said, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other duties to attend to, as captain of this ship. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Captain. Now, if you'll excuse me." She turned and began to walk away.

"Would you want us to accompany you, my lady?" Robert asked. Emerald gave him a slight shake of her head, before stepping out of the stateroom, banging the door behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Doctor and the Lad (And more Proof of Amelia's Conceitedness). **Emerald Juliet Winter**

Emerald angrily wiped the tears in her eyes. She shouldn't cry. She shouldn't think about the captain's words. Crying and spending the whole day dwelling on those painful words show that Amelia had won. Emerald will not allow that nasty feline to win, no matter what happens.

Emerald had been too busy thinking that she did not notice someone who bumped her. It was a four-eyed humanoid who was busy scrubbing the floors. By accident, he splashed soapy water on Emerald's boots.

"Oh. I'm sorry," the humanoid muttered. Then, he saw the necklace around Emerald's neck. The necklace was made of the finest gold, with the royal coat-of-arms engraved on the necklace. The humanoid must have recognized it, for he bowed quickly. "My apologies, Your Highness."

Emerald straightened him up. "There's no need to address me like that. I am not here as a princess, but as a co-captain. You may call me 'Ma'am'", she said kindly.

"Yes, yes, um.. Ma'am," the humanoid said.

"Oh, and one more thing." Emerald quickly took a mop. She handed it to him. "Here. Use this. It is easier to clean the floors using a mop."

"Thank you very much, Captain," said the humanoid. He took the mop gratefully, and continued his work.

Emerald walked around, helping those crew members who needed her help. Soon, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and a familiar voice that said, "Your Highness, you need not do such manual labor."

Emerald looked behind her and saw Mr. Arrow. She smiled at him and said. "It's okay. I could do manual labor. Besides, I have noticed that Amelia has not distributed the work evenly among all the members of the crew. It is a leader's duty to facilitate the members to complete a task. That doesn't mean that the leader could just sit down and do nothing. He also has to help."

Mr. Arrow sighed. He motioned for Emerald to come with him, which she did. They walked away from hearing distance of the crew members. "I'd like you to do me a favour," Mr. Arrow said quietly.

"Which is?" Emerald asked.

"Please don't judge Amelia like that. You don't know her yet. True, she may be as stiff as a brick, but she is a very kind person."

Emerald rolled her eyes, but she saw truth in Mr. Arrow's eyes. She frowned. "I'm sorry, but that's just how Amelia acts. If she wants to be judged kindly, then she should show her own kindness."

"It's just that—" Mr. Arrow began, but Emerald cut him off immediately. She did not want to hear more.

"May I help you maintain the order around here?"

Mr. Arrow looked unsure, but he cleared his throat and said. "Why, of course, my lady." He began to bark orders at the crew, while Emerald helped some members of the crew.

Soon, she noticed an odd pair who boarded the ship. One of them is a doglike creature in a horrible yellow spacesuit. Emerald stopped herself from rolling her eyes. This dude is clearly Dr. Doppler.

The man next to the doctor caught the princess's attention immediately. He was a young handsome man with brown hair gathered in a ponytail. His warm chocolate brown eyes were probably his major asset.

"Good morning, Captain", said the doctor."Everything shipshape?"

Emerald thought that she was being addressed, but then she saw that the doctor's eyes were on Mr. Arrow. She stifled a laugh. Does everyone on this ship mistaken Mr. Arrow for the captain?

"Shipshape it is, sir, but I'm not the captain," Mr. Arrow said. "The captain's aloft," he said, looking into the sails at a feline blur. Amelia landed on the floor on her two feet. Emerald scoffed. What a show-off! Dr. Doppler's space suit window clanged shut. Emerald bit her lip to stop her giggles from escaping.

"Mr. Arrow," Amelia said. "I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern, and, as usual, it's-" she paused for a while. "Spot on. Can you get nothing wrong?" She asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"You flatter me, Captain," Mr. Arrow replied.

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Could you two please be more formal? These are members of our crew, so you might as well continue flirting some other time?"

Amelia glared at her. "How about you go and be rude somewhere else." She returned her attention to the pair. She scrutinized the doctor from head to toe.

"Ah, Dr. Doppler, l presume?" said the captain.

"Uh, um, yes. I-" Delbert muttered.

"Hello! Can you hear me?" Amelia asked, rapping her knuckles at the glass of his spacesuit.

"Yes, I can! Stop that banging!" Dr. Doppler shot back.

"If l may, Doctor, this works so much better when it's right-way up." She forcefully grabbed the front knob on the unfortunate doctor's space suit and flipped it around. "And plugged in!" she added, spinning him around and plugging a cord into the back of the suit. "Lovely. There you go."

"If you don't mind, I can manage my own plugging!" Dr. Doppler said, clearly annoyed.

Amelia forcefully took Dr. Doppler's hand, and shook it. "I'm Captain Amelia. Late of a few run-ins with the Protean armada."

"Do you really have to brag about that?" Emerald asked in a bored tone.

Amelia ignored her. "Nasty business, but l won't bore you with my scars. You've met my first officer, Mr. Arrow. Sterling, tough, dependable, honest, brave, and true," she said.

"Please, Captain," Mr. Arrow muttered.

"Oh, shut up Arrow, you know I don't mean a word of it," Captain Amelia taunted.

The princess frowned. "Are you done flirting yet?"

The doctor cleared his throat. "Ahem, excuse me. I hate to interrupt this lovely banter. But may I introduce to you, Jim Hawkins. Jim, you see, is the boy who discovered the treasure-"

Emerald immediately looked at the boy. She was very much interested now. So, this boy is going to be the answer to all her problems, eh? Amelia, on the other hand, wasn't so excited. She immediately snapped her hand over the doctor's mouth. "Doctor, please!" On the word _treasure_, the crew members within hearing range paused and looked at them. One of them growled, before they went back to their work. Amelia, looking at the pair very seriously, said to them, "I'd like a word with you in my stateroom."

When Amelia, Mr. Arrow, Jim, Dr. Doppler, and Emerald were in the stateroom, Amelia began to talk. "Doctor, to muse and blabber about a treasure map in front of this particular crew demonstrates a level of ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic, and l mean that in a very caring way," she said with a dry smile.

"Seriously," Emerald said with a scowl. "Do you really have to think so highly of yourself? Don't you respect anyone anymore?"

It would seem that the princess isn't the only one who hated the captain. Amelia's words greatly insulted the doctor. "Imbecilic, did you say? Foolishness, I've-"

"May l see the map, please?" asked Amelia impatiently.

Jim and Dr. Doppler looked at each other. The doctor motioned for Jim to give her the map. Jim took it out of his pocket and tossed it to Amelia. "Here". Emerald noticed that he gave it unwillingly.

Amelia caught the map with little effort. Emerald rolled her eyes. She wished that the map had hit Amelia between the eyes. Perhaps, they could be free of a completely annoying feline, even for just a few hours. "Hmm, Fascinating," Amelia muttered. The map mesmerized her for a moment. Emerald was completely annoyed, for it seems that the captain was planning to have all of the treasure for herself.

"Gee, what a great captain!" Emerald exclaimed. "We have such a great captain, that she gets immediately distracted by some ball of yarn or something."

The annoying compliment shook the captain out of her reverie. She looked at Jim and said, "Mr. Hawkins, in the future you will address me as 'Captain' or 'Ma'am.' Is that clear?"

Emerald hissed, the sound heard by everyone else in the room. Does this feline have to ask that of everyone who boards her ship? That is _so_ begging for attention.

Fortunately, the guy wasn't a goody-two-shoe. He merely grunted.

"Mr. Hawkins," Amelia snapped.

"Yes, ma'am," said Jim, slightly sarcastic.

"That'll do," Amelia said. She placed the map in a small chest. She locked the chest immediately. "Gentlemen, this must be kept under lock and key when not in use. And, Doctor, again, with the greatest possible respect, zip your howling screamer."

"Captain, I assure you I-" the doctor began.

"Let me make this as monosyllabic as possible," Amelia said immediately. "I don't much care for this crew you hired. They're...how did l describe them, Arrow? I said something rather good this morning before coffee." She sat down at her desk.

"'A ludicrous parcel of driveling galoots,' Ma'am," Mr. Arrow said.

"There you go, poetry," Amelia said.

"You wouldn't even know poetry even if hit you between the eyes," Emerald said. "And let me tell you, _pussy_, that a true captain never forsakes her crew. Seeing that you couldn't care less about these men, I couldn't see the reason why they will care for you. I wouldn't be surprised if they staged a mutiny against you, because you are one crackpot leader."

"Now see here-"exclaimed the doctor, grabbing hold of Amelia's desk.

"Doctor, I'd love to chat, tea, cake, the whole shebang, but l have a ship to launch, and you've got your outfit to buff up," said Amelia, standing up.

"And if I were you, I'd show some respect. Otherwise, I'd be stuffing you in a bag, and throwing you in a black hole," Emerald retorted.

"That is enough, Emerald," Amelia said, glaring at the princess. The captain turned to Mr. Arrow, and said, "Mr. Arrow, please escort these neophytes down to the galley straightaway. Young Hawkins will be working for our cook, Mr. Silver."

Jim was very dissatisfied with his assignment. "The cook!" he exclaimed.

Amelia looked at Emerald. "Miss Willows and Mister Kane are already in you assigned room. You may go to them."

It would seem that Emerald is not the only enemy that the captain has made today. Dr. Doppler and Jim were very much annoyed as well.

"That woman! That...feline!" exclaimed the doctor as Arrow led them down to see the cook. "Who does she think is working for whom?"

"It's my map, and she's got me bussin' tables?" Jim complained.

Emerald was about to say something, when Mr. Arrow clamped his hands on the two gentlemen's shoulders. "I'll not tolerate a cross word about our captain!" he exclaimed angrily. "There's no finer officer in this or any galaxy!"

"You're merely saying that because she is your flame," Emerald muttered.

"My lady, with all due respect, please stop talking about her that way!" Mr. Arrow said.

Emerald glared at him, but said nothing. Then, they walked to the kitchen in silence.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: In the Kitchen. **Emerald Juliet Winter**

When the group had reached the kitchen, Arrow began to address a man who was near the back of the kitchen. "Mr. Silver," said Arrow.

"Why, Mr. Arrow, sir," said the man. "Bringin' in such fine and distinguished gents to grace my humble galley." His face immediately turned pale when he saw Emerald. He quickly ran to her. Emerald soon saw that while the man's left side is normal, his right side is robotic. The man bowed to her. "Your Highness. What brings you to visit a galley as undeserving as mine. Had I known, I'd have tucked in me shirt," he said while tucking his shirt.

Emerald scowled. As much as possible, she did not want to be recognized as a princess. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be so simple. Everyone she had met recognized her straightaway. Now, her only chance of pretending to be a commoner is gone. Now, everyone knows who she really is.

Dr. Doppler's eyes widened. He immediately rushed to Emerald and bowed. "Your Highness, please forgive me. I didn't recognize you."

Emerald smiled and said, "No. It is alright. I am here as a co-captain, not as a princess."

"So that explains why you kept answering back to that pesky cat a while ago. You were very hilarious, my lady," the doctor said with a laugh.

Emerald smiled at him. "Thank you very much."

Jim, on the other hand, merely gaped at her. "You? A princess?"

Emerald smiled at him. "I am Emerald Juliet Winter, princess of this planet. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jim Hawkins." She turned to Silver. "It is also a pleasure to meet you, my good sir."

Silver smiled at her.

"May l introduce Dr. Doppler, the financier of our voyage," Mr. Arrow said, gesturing towards the doctor.

"Love the outfit, doc!" said Silver, scanning Dr. Doppler's spacesuit excitedly.

The doctor was uncomfortable with the way the cyborg scrutinized him. "Well, thank you. Um, love the eye." Dr. Doppler, anxious to change the topic, immediately pushed Jim forward. "Uh, this young lad is Jim Hawkins."

"Em! Jimbo!" Silver put out his robotic hand, which was still full of knives and other dangerous tools. Silver immediately saw his mistake, so he quickly changed it back to a "normal" hand. Jim merely glared at the hand. "Aw, now, don't be too put off by this hunk of hardware," said Silver. He began to chop some vegetables, until he pretended to cut his normal hand. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, in attempt to break the ice. His efforts were all in vain, though.

"These gears have been tough getting used to," he said, adding a ton of ingredients in a pot. "But they do come in mighty handy from time to time." He poured the contents into a bigger pot, and added more seasonings before trying out his dish. He smiled in satisfaction, and poured some of the contents into three bowls. Silver handed one to each one of them. "Here, now, have a taste of me famous bonzabeast stew."

Delbert sniffed his food, while Jim looked at his doubtfully. Emerald, being taught that courtesy should be maintained at all times, smiled at Silver and said, "Ooh. This looks very delicious."

Delbert placed a spoonful of food in his mouth. He looked surprised, but he didn't look like he was about to throw up. "Mmm! Delightfully tangy, yet robust."

Emerald gathered her guts, and tried the dish as well. "Yes, Doctor, I have to agree."

"Old family recipe," said Silver proudly.

Delbert was about to go for another spoonful when he saw something that looked like an eye float to the top of his soup. "Ah!"

"In fact, that was part of the old family!" Silver joked. He grabbed the "eye" from the stew and popped it into his mouth. Emerald couldn't mask her disgust, even for the sake of courtesy. She turned away, for the spoonful of food that she had just swallowed might make a reappearance. Silver laughed at the expressions on his guests' faces. "Oh, ho! I'm just kiddin', Doc!"

"Uh, yeah, well-" Delbert muttered lamely.

"I'm nothin' if I ain't a kidder. Go on Em, Jimbo, have a swig!" Silver encouraged.

Jim stared at his bowl for a while, before grabbing his spoon. He was very shocked when he saw two little eyes appear in his bowl. "Huh?"

The whole spoon soon transformed into a little floating giggling pink blob. The thing transformed into a straw and sucked down all the stew from the bowl. Turning back into its normal form, it burped and settled down into the bottom of Jim's bowl.

"Morph! You jiggle-headed blob of mischief! So that's where you was hiding!" Silver scolded. It was evident, though, that he was happy to see the creature.

Morph made some adorable chattering noises. Emerald laughed and said, "That's so cute."

Jim himself was amused. "What is that thing?" he asked.

Morph turned into a tiny Jim, and mirrored him in a high pitched voice. "'What is that thing?'" Jim leaned in to get a better look at Morph. Morph immediately turned back into his real self and licked Jim on the cheek before rushing off to Silver's side.

Silver handed Morph a small cracker, which Morph happily nibbled. "He's a morph," Silver narrated. "Rescued the little shape-shifter on Proteus one. Aw, he took a shine to me. We been together ever since."

"We're about to get underway. Would you like to observe the launch, doctor?" asked Arrow. Emerald had forgotten about the first officer's presence.

"Would I?" exclaimed Delbert. "Does an active galactic nucleus have superluminal jets?" he asked excitedly. Unfortunately, no one understood the term. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um. I'm coming with you."

Arrow looked at Emerald. "How about you, my lady?"

Emerald smiled at him and said, "I know that I'm supposed to do my job, but I don't think I could do my job very well, especially now that Amelia and I are not on good terms. I'd very much rather wait before things cool down, before I do any of my duties as captain."

Arrow nodded. "I respect your decision, my lady." He walked with Delbert out of the kitchen. Jim began to follow them, but Arrow blocked him immediately. "Mr. Hawkins will stay here in your charge, Mr. Silver."

Silver nearly choked on his food. "Beggin' your pardon, sir, but-"

"Captain's orders!" snapped Arrow. "See to it the new cabin boy is kept busy."

Jim and Silver all started to protest. They shut up upon seeing they saw that Arrow was already out of the room.

"So, Captain's put you with me, eh?" said Silver, trying to sound upbeat.

Jim rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said, walking to the other end of the kitchen.

"Come on, guys. This wouldn't be so bad," Emerald said, in an attempt to encourage the men.

However, the effect was different from what she had planned. Jim glared at her. "Of course it wouldn't be so bad for you," he snapped. "You're some royal lady. Nobody will assign you to cleaning the decks all day."

Emerald blushed. "That's not what I meant. I'm sorry for offending you."

Jim noticed the sincerity of Emerald's apology, so the fire in his eyes subsided.

There was silence in the kitchen for an awkward minute, before Silver broke the pause. "Well, who be a humble cyborg to argue with a captain?" he said while doing some of his work.

"Yeah. You know, these purps, they're kind of like the ones back home on Montressor," Jim said. "Come to think of it, just before l left, l met this old guy, who was, um, kind of looking for a cyborg buddy of his."

Emerald leaned in closer. She was very interested in Jim's story. How on earth did he get his map? She had so many questions that she'd like to ask him.

"Yeah?" asked Silver.

"Was that guy the one who gave you the map?" Emerald asked.

Jim looked at her. He was surprised with Emerald's good guessing. "How did you know?" he asked.

"Deductive reasoning," Emerald replied. "May I know the name of the old bloke?"

"Billy Bones," Jim muttered.

"Bones? Bones?" said Silver, thinking over the name. "Mm-mmm. T'ain't ringin' any bells. Must have been a different cyborg. There's a slew of cyborgs roamin' this port."

"Prepare to cast off!" Arrow's voice boomed from above on the deck.

"Eh, off with you, lad, and watch the launch. There'll be plenty work a-waitin' for you afterwards. Your Highness, I believe you are also needed on the deck."

Emerald frowned. The deck was the last place she wanted to go to at the moment. However, she knew she had no choice. She accompanied Jim and walked to the deck.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi. Sorry for the long update. We had so much things to do in school. To make it up to you, I corrected the mistakes in the past chapters, and now I am uploading three chapters instead of the traditional 1 chapter a week. Anyway, thanks for the first review. I appreciate the fact that somebody enjoys what I'm writing. It serves as motivation to continue doing what I love: writing. **

Chapter 6: New Friends and New Enemies. **Jim Hawkins**

Jim walked to the deck wearily. This day isn't how he intended it to be. This day is terrible. First, he had to be with Dr. Doppler. Although he was fine with the doctor, Jim is vaguely aware of the weird stares people gave him for the doctor's awful outfit. There was even one classmate who had seen him with the doctor. It certainly didn't help that this particular classmate is the bully of the class. He smirked at Jim and exclaimed, "Nice going Jim! The outfit totally suits you." The bully howled in laughter.

Secondly, Jim was assigned as cabin boy for the voyage. Jim knew that he wasn't really a smart lad, or a skilled explorer, but still. Jim could do something aside from cleaning. This assignment is definitely beneath him.

Last, but certainly the worst of all, Jim knew that he had acted like an idiot. When he first saw the caramel-haired lady, he noted that she was quite beautiful. He noticed that there is something different about the woman, although he couldn't tell what it is. Jim knew the woman. He is sure of it. He just couldn't remember who she is, and how he met her. He was amazed by how Emerald was very vocal about her hatred for Amelia. Then suddenly, Silver recognized her as the princess. Instead of immediately bowing and apologizing for the incompetent behaviour, Jim exclaimed a stupid question. What kind of a question is "You? A princess?" He must have looked like an idiot in front of Emerald, embarrassing himself in the process.

Soon, Jim reached the deck. He sighed and said, "Alright, my lady. Here we are."

There was no response. Jim looked to his right, and saw that Emerald is not there. That's odd. Jim could have sworn that the princess was just standing next to him a second ago. He began to look around, until he found a caramel-haired woman. Jim immediately walked to her.

"There you are. I thought you lost your way," Jim said.

The caramel-haired woman looked at him blankly. "What do you mean? I don't get lost."

Jim could only blink in confusion. "Pardon me, my lady?" he asked.

The woman laughed at him. That moment, Jim realized that something is different. First of all, this woman is dressed more simply. Although she was beautiful, her clothes weren't the type that royalty would wear. The woman's hair is shorter. Her hair barely reached her shoulders. Jim also noticed that the gold necklace around Emerald's neck is nowhere to be seen. "You don't need to call me that," the woman said. "I'm Sonny. Nice to meet you."

Jim blinked. He saw a resemblance between the two women. "You're not a princess, are you?" he asked. "Are you related to Princess Emerald in any way?"

Sonny laughed again. "No. We're not related. I guess it's just a coincidence that we look somewhat alike. And no, I'm not a princess. I'm just a servant."

"Oh," Jim mumbled, feeling incredibly stupid.

Sonny smiled at him. "You have met my lady already?" she asked.

Jim nodded. "Yes. In fact, I didn't even recognize her as the princess. I was walking beside her, and then she suddenly disappeared. I thought you were her. Sorry."

Sonny patted his shoulder. "It's okay. I'll just have to get used to it. I could manage."

Jim frowned. Could this day get any more worse? Now, he had to mess up with Sonny and Emerald. Jim frowned as he scrutinized Sonny's face. He had seen her before. He closed his eyes, and his mind travelled back into the past.

A five year old Jim was walking back home on a cold night. He was excited to go back home, for he had food to bring. He knew that his mother would be really happy to see him.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from behind him. Jim instantly became scared, as he whirled around. "Who's there?" he asked, his voice shaking.

He saw a silhouette of a small, clumsy thing. The fear made Jim's heart to rise to his throat. Soon, he saw the thing. It was a little girl. Her caramel-colored hair was messy and tangled. Her green eyes were bright with fear. She wore a simple torn dress, which made her look like a beggar. Normally, Jim would just ignore her. On the other hand, the fear in the girl's eyes made him curious.

"I have to get away," Jim heard the little girl murmur over and over again. "I have to get away from them."

"Hey," Jim said. Immediately, the girl shrieked, and began to run, but she tripped. She grazed her knees in the process. The girl tried to get up, but she was too weak to do so. Jim quickly went to her side. He held the girl's hand, but the girl struggled. "No!" she exclaimed. "I can't go back to that dark place again. Please!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Jim said softly. He sat in front of the girl. "Look at me." He said.

The kind voice made the girl calm down. She looked at Jim's face. Jim was struck with how intense the girl's eyes were.

"You're not one of them, are you?" the girl asked carefully. "You're not going to hurt me?"

Jim nodded sincerely. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Who are they, anyway?"

The girl shuddered. "They are bad people," she said. "They took me away from my family."

"Ah," Jim said sadly. "Anyway, I'm going to help you return to you family. I'm Jim, by the way. And you're?"

The girl closed her eyes and was silent for a while. When she opened her eyes, she scowled and said, "I don't remember. I don't remember anything. All I know is that I was taken away from my family." The girl began to cry uncontrollably.

Jim felt awkward, but he knew he should do something. He wrapped his arms around the girl. "Don't worry. I'll help you. I'll find you a place where the people could help you find your family."

The girl wiped her tears. "Thank you very much, Jim. I won't forget you."

Little Jim brought the girl back to their home. His mother took care of the girl. She gave the young girl food, a shower, and a place to sleep for the night. The next day, the girl was brought to the orphanage. Usually, parents whose children had been kidnapped looked for those lost kids in orphanages. Probably, the girl's parents would find her there. A few weeks after, Jim and his family were shocked to see a package. When they opened the money, it was filled with money for them. There was also a note attached to it, which said: _Thank you for giving back our daughter_.

Something was clear to Jim. Clearly, the girl she had rescued is either Emerald or Sonny. Since the girl did not give her name, Jim couldn't tell which one was the girl he had rescued. It is clear though, that the reason why he had felt that he had seen Emerald was because he had rescued her. Somehow, Jim felt that the girl he had rescued is Emerald. The money in the package supports this theory. While Emerald's parents could afford a reward for those who had found their daughter, Sonny's parents couldn't possibly afford to do such.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sonny asked. This shook Jim out of his reverie.

"We're all clear, Captain!" an unfamiliar voice that belonged to one of the crew suddenly called.

Jim looked around in confusion, until his brain began to work again. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"By the way, I still don't know who you are," Sonny said.

"I'm Jim Hawkins. I'm just an average cabin boy," Jim replied.

"Somehow, I think you look familiar," Sonny said.

"Really?" Jim asked.

"Yes," Sonny said. "Have we met before?"

Before Jim could answer, there was suddenly a force pulling them up ward. They had been preoccupied with talking that they hadn't even noticed that the launch. Jim immediately clung to a rope. Sonny, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. "Oh no!" she exclaimed. She began to slowly float upwards. It was a good thing that Jim managed to grab her hand. If he hadn't, Sonny would have to spend the rest of her life floating idly in space.

"Mr. Zoff, engage artificial gravity," called Captain Amelia from below. Suddenly, Jim found himself keeping Sonny from falling, instead of keeping her from floating away. He held more tightly to the rope.

Sonny let go of Jim's hand, for her feet were very close to the ground. She landed gracefully. "Come on down, Jim. It's alright."

Jim let go of his rope, and landed on the deck. His landing, though, is not as graceful as that of Sonny's. He landed on his butt. A giggle escaped from Sonny's lips.

Jim got up, and said, "Well, you're one to laugh. At least you're not floating to oblivion." He tried to pretend that he was angry, but he couldn't pull it off. He began to laugh as well.

When their laughter had subsided, Sonny cleared her throat and said, "Well, I'll have to go and look for my lady now. It was so nice to meet you, Jim."

Jim was about to say something about how nice it was to meet her too, but Silver cut in before he could get a word out. "Jimbo! My lady! Nice haircut you have there. I thought you had long hair."

Jim and Sonny laughed again, this time harder than before. Silver merely stared at them.

Sonny managed to gain control of her laughter. She smiled at Silver and said, "No. I'm Sonny, sir. I'm just the princess's servant. Our resemblance is purely a coincidence."

"Nice to meet you, Sonny. Anyway, Jimbo! I got two new friends I'd like you to meet!" Silver said.

"Really, who?" Jim asked.

"Say hello to Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket." Silver tossed a mop and a bucket at Jim. Silver then walked away.

A member of the crew walked by and deliberately bumped into Jim. "Watch it twerp!" the crew member hissed.

Jim heard Sonny mutter in a foreign language. He didn't know what the words meant, but Jim knew that it probably meant "Watch it yourself, moron!"

Jim glanced around. There were freaky alien crew members everywhere. Technically speaking, he only knew of three humans on this ship: himself, Sonny, and Emerald. Jim's imagination began to fly wildly again, and he wondered if Sonny is probably a clone of Emerald, which is why Sonny is the princess's servant.

"What are you looking at, weirdos?" demanded an alien with a long orange beard. Suddenly, the head of that crew member crawled off its body using its beard as legs.

"Ya! Weirdos!" said the body of the head. Seriously? How could a body talk without a mouth?

"Cabin kids should learn to mind their own business," said an approaching spider-like alien named Scroop.

"Why? You got something to hide, bright eyes?" said Jim smugly. Sonny laughed quietly.

Scroop, with one of his huge claws, grabbed Jim by the collar of his shirt. "Maybe your ears don't work so well!"

"Um, Jim," Sonny said. "Maybe enough is enough."

"Yes," Scroop said. "Listen to your friend. At least she knows how to stay away from trouble."

"Yeah. Ahem. Too bad my nose works just fine," Jim said.

"Why, you impudent little-" said Scroop, throwing Jim towards a wall. Jim smashed hard into the particular wall, bruising himself in the process. He heard the crew exclaim out words of encouragement.

Sonny began to rush to Jim's aid, but her way was blocked by a sinister looking crew member. "Do not interfere, or you're next," the crew member warned her.

"Brawls are not tolerated on this ship," a feminine voice said. Jim had never been happier to hear a voice his entire life.

Emerald approached them in all her poise and beauty. "Now, now gentlemen," she said kindly. "We could resolve this matter in a more peaceful way."

"Spoiled cabin kids are also not tolerated in this ship, Your Highness," Scroop hissed. "He has to be taught a lesson."

"My lady," Sonny pleaded. "Please."

"Shut up," the crew member blocking her way exclaimed. He punched Sonny's cheek, and sent her flying towards another wall.

Emerald walked towards the rude crew member. "Pardon me, my good sir, but a basic code of chivalry is being practiced on this ship." As quick as lightning, Emerald drew out her sword, and immediately attacked the crew member. The crew member managed to draw out his own sword, and dodged Emerald's attacks. For a while, the crew was busy watching Emerald battle their companion. Jim was impressed by Emerald's skills. He had never met a princess who could handle a sword well. In just a short time, Emerald disarmed the crew member. The crew member's sword clattered out of his hands. Emerald caught the sword with ease, and pointed the two swords she had at her opponent. "Now, had I made myself clear?"

In response to her question, the other crew members steered clear of her, mumbling "Yes, Your Highness" as they went.

Emerald looked at Scroop. "Mr. Scroop, I'll handle this. I assure you that I will teach this new cabin boy a lesson."

"What?" Jim exclaimed. "But, I wasn't doing anything!"

Emerald glared at him, but Jim saw the real meaning in her eyes: _Play along_.

Scroop hissed at her. "No. I shall finish him off myself."

Before Scroop could slice Jim's throat, Silver walked up to him while casually eating a purp. "Mr. Scroop, you ever see what happen to a fresh purp when you squeeze real hard?" he asked in a dangerous voice. Silver placed the clamp from his cyborg arm on Scroop's arm, causing Scroop to drop Jim and let out a small screech. Emerald ran to check if Jim was alright. Jim was fine, although he was a bit dazed.

"Sonny!" said a voice. Jim looked and saw a handsome young man rushing towards Sonny. He immediately cradled Sonny's head on his lap. Sonny groaned before opening her eyes. Jim saw an ugly looking bruise on her cheek. She slowly opened her eyes, and gave the man a small smile. "I'm fine, Rob. Don't worry. It just hurts a bit."

"What's all this, then?" demanded the booming voice of Mr. Arrow. Every one stopped what they were doing to look at Arrow. "You know the rules. There'll be no brawling on this ship."

"Aye, aye, sir," mumbled the crew.

"Any further offenders will be confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage." Mr. Arrow turned his attention to Scroop. "Am I clear, Mr. Scroop?" Jim caught Silver shooting Scroop a hard look.

"Transparently," hissed Scroop.

Arrow frowned disapprovingly at Emerald. "My lady, the same rule applies to you. I do hope that you would sheath your sword and won't be involved in another brawl again."

Emerald bowed. "My apologies, Mr. Arrow. It will never happen again."

Arrow walked away.

After Silver had left, Emerald quickly ran to her servant. Jim noted that Sonny was lucky to have a master who cared for her. Emerald helped the man bring Sonny away.

Jim turned to continue his work, but he saw Silver frowning at him.

"I gave you a job to-"

"And I was doing it!" Jim protested. "Before that bug thing-"

"Belay that!" said Silver angrily. "Now, l want this deck swabbed spotless, and heaven help ya if I come back and it's not done!" Silver turned to Morph and said, "Morph, keep an eye on these pup, and let me know if there be any more distractions."

"Aye-aye!" said morph happily before his owner walked away. Morph made his eyes bigger, as if to help with his task.

**My goodness! This is the longest chapter I have ever written. Well, continue reading and rating. I do accept suggestions on how to make the story better.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Great. I just realized my mistake while I was editing. I clicked the wrong button, and so the original chapters with my author's notes were deleted. Don't worry. The chapters are still the same, except for the modifications in the grammar, spelling, etc. Now, it is quite obvious that I'm a new member who is still adjusting. I hope I don't make any more drastic mistakes. Anyway, the character's name in bold font next to the chapter's title is the from whose point of view is the particular chapter written. So, I wrote the first five chapters in Emerald's point of view, so that you could get to know her. Anyway, this is to avoid vagueness and confusion.**

Chapter 7: Welcome to the "Unlucky People with Terrible Fathers" Club. **Jim Hawkins**

Jim continued on with his work, ignoring everyone else. He wasn't in the mood to get in any more trouble. Somehow, Jim felt guilty. He thought of how Sonny had looked like after being hit in the face. The attack must have hurt real badly, for she ended up losing consciousness. And of course, the princess got reprimanded for helping him. Jim wasn't worried about the princess, for he knew that she could take care of herself. Even if Amelia is storming at Emerald as of the moment, Emerald could surely defend herself against an angry feline. The problem was that Jim placed some burden upon their shoulders. Sonny and Emerald tried to help him during his time of need, and how had he repaid them? He placed both of them in trouble.

"Hey," a soft voice said.

Jim turned around and saw Emerald there. "Um.. Hi, Your Highness."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "There's no need to be formal with me. Emerald will do just fine."

"Right," Jim said. "If you say so."

He continued mopping the deck, trying to forget about the princess's presence. After a while, he couldn't take the silence any longer. "So," he said, attempting small talk with the princess. After all, he has never talked to royalty before. "How's Sonny?"

Emerald sighed. "Well. She's fine. She just has to rest for a while. Of course, it will take a while before that bruise gets off her face. She also had bruises on her back, but besides that, she's okay."

Jim frowned. "I'm sorry for putting you all in this mess."

Emerald laughed. "No. It's alright. I mean, I have been reprimanded a lot of times before. I'm somehow worried about Sonny, but I know her very well. She wouldn't have minded taking a few bruises to help someone."

"She must be a really nice person," Jim said.

Emerald smiled brightly. "Why, of course! She's the nicest person I've ever known. She respects me, not out of fear or my royal birth. She respects me as another person. And, she always fulfils my wishes." Emerald gazed intently at the dark sky. "She's more than just a servant. She's my best friend."

Jim smiled. "You know something, Emerald?" he asked.

Emerald looked at him. "What is it?"

"If there's one thing I appreciate about you, it's your honesty," Jim said.

"My honesty?" Emerald asked, clearly confused.

Jim nodded. "Yes. You're honest. When anyone asks you a question, you answer truthfully. You're honest. You have no pretences. I appreciate that."

Emerald smiled. "Really? It's so nice of you to point that out. Thanks."

"Sure thing," Jim said.

Soon enough, Silver approached the pair. "Well, thank heavens for little miracles! Leave you alone for an hour and the deck's still in one piece!"

Jim was about to say something, but Emerald quickly pulled him by his sleeve. "You'd better thank him for saving you," she said quietly.

"Um, look, I, uh..." Jim began awkwardly. "What you did... Thanks."

"Didn't your pap ever teach you to pick your fights a bit more carefully?" asked Silver.

Jim frowned and looked down. He didn't want to reply about the question. Unlike Emerald, Jim couldn't be honest about all questions. He never answered questions about his family, especially about his father. Whenever somebody asks about his father, Jim snaps at that person and tells him to mind his own business. Jim would secretly hate him for a day, before completely going back in a normal relationship with that person.

"Your father's not the teachin' sort," Silver said. It sounded as an accusation rather than a question.

"No. He was more 'the taking off and never coming back sort'," Jim said. He tried to hide his bitter feelings, but even to himself, the pain was very evident in his voice.

"Oh," Silver exclaimed. The trio was stuck in an awkward silence, until Silver found a way to change the topic. "Well, how about you, Your Highness? I'll say that your sword fighting techniques are impressive. That is exactly how a noble fights others. It must have been your royal pap who taught you that."

Jim looked at Emerald. He believed that Emerald had a better relationship with her father than Jim had with his own. However, Jim realized that Emerald couldn't answer every question fired at her. She also had some sensitive topics. Jim saw something glistening on Emerald's cheek, but when he had tried to take a closer look, the tear was gone. "No. I've learned it by myself. I've learned how to defend myself whenever I was on voyages. I had to learn how to hold a sword and a gun, to protect myself. My father is too busy running the kingdom to even notice me." She turned away. "He's too embarrassed with me to even care," Jim heard her say very quietly.

"Oh." Silver said. Jim realized that the cyborg felt pity for the two of them. Jim also saw that he wasn't the only unlucky person when it came to fathers and children. In fact, Emerald's situation seemed harder than his. "Well, since the captain has put you in my charge, like it or not, I'll be pounding a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep you out of trouble. That applies to you too, my lady."

Jim began to protest. Emerald forced a smile and said, "No. It's alright, Silver. Really."

"From now on, I'm not letting you out of me sight. You won't so much as eat, sleep or scratch your bums without my say-so." Silver said.

"Really, Mr. Silver," Emerald said. "You don't need to go to the trouble of doing such."

"Yeah. Don't do us any favors!" Jim said.

"Oh you can be sure of that, my lad. You can be sure of that!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's the last chapter for this week. I'm making it a point to upload one chapter per week, and I'll try to keep that promise. Checking of grammar, mechanics, etc. will be done every month to improve the quality of the story. I'll have to admit that what caused my slow updating is a case of writer's block which I had experienced two weeks ago. I'll be more efficient if my readers will share suggestions for this story. Anyway. See you next week.**

Chapter 8: Under the Mask. **Sonny Willows**

Sonny was having yet another nightmare.

She was a little girl in this dream. She was running as fast as she could. She kept looking behind her, for there was somebody chasing her. Sonny didn't want to know what would happen to her if she got caught. She doesn't know who is chasing her. All that mattered is that Sonny could get away. She would do anything, just to wake up from this terrible nightmare.

Sonny soon entered the cold, damp woods. Normally, she wouldn't dare venture out in this dark and spooky place, but Sonny would rather be devoured by wild beasts than be caught. She ran as fast as she could. She didn't dare look back anymore. She kept her eyes straight ahead.

Suddenly, Sonny tripped on something, and she fell down. Her right cheek fell on a group of sharp rocks. Immediately, pain shot across her cheek. Her back was also injured. She tried to get up, but she realized that she couldn't. Fear crept in her heart as her pursuer closed upon her.

Sonny couldn't see his face, but she could see the evil grin playing on his lips. "Hello there, my precious gem. Prepare to die."

He drew out a dagger, and lunged at Sonny.

Sonny woke up in a cold sweat.

Sonny began to hyperventilate. She soon realized that she was in her room. This was the biggest room, next to Amelia's stateroom, of course. This room belonged to Sonny and Emerald, for Robert wasn't allowed to stay in the same room as the women. In the room were two things to sleep on: a hammock and a bed. Sonny had decided earlier that she will sleep on the hammock. After all, it is the princess's needs that she always prioritizes before her own. To her surprise, Sonny found herself waking up on the bed.

Sonny looked out her window. It was already night. She wondered how long she had slept. Looking at her watch, Sonny saw that it was already 8 in the evening. She got up from bed, only to feel the searing pain on her cheek. She wasn't dreaming about the pain, then.

Sonny slowly walked out of the room. She wondered where Emerald is. Somehow, Emerald must be with Jim. Sonny had a feeling that her lady had already known Jim, even maybe befriended him. Probably, Emerald is with Jim and the cook, in the galley.

A cold wind blew Sonny's short hair back. The coolness of the wind eased her pain. She began to go to the kitchen, when she heard somebody yell.

"Who could be very angry today?" Sonny said. She decided to follow the sound. She quietly made her way in the kitchen. When she reached the kitchen, she saw probably the whole crew in the kitchen. Silver and Scroop were in front of everyone. Everyone watched the two as if there was a huge face-off between the two.

"Are you all stark-raving, totally blinking daft?!" She heard the same voice again. Sonny blinked. Could that be Silver yelling?

"The boy was sniffing about." Sonny shuddered. She recognized the voice. Scroop.

"You just stick to the plan, you bug-brained twit!" Silver pounded his fist on the table. There were gasps from the crowd, along with some exclaiming "Ooh." "As for the boy," continued Silver. "I'll run him so ragged he won't have time to think!"

Sonny pursed her lips. What on earth are these men going to do with Jim? Jim is already a friend to Sonny. Sonny didn't want any of her friends to be harmed. Besides, what plan are they talking about?

"And, the princess?" Scroop growled.

"The boy and she seem to be getting closer by the minute!" Sonny heard somebody said. Some pounded their drinks on the table in agreement.

"Maybe, we could disturb this, friendship of theirs before it blossoms. Princess Emerald is still of use to us. We must create tension," Scroop said with an evil smile. "As soon as they have served their use, we could dispose of them."

Silver thought about the idea. "Hmm. Tension, you say?" After a while, he smiled at the gathered crowd and said, "Now, don't you worry about that! I'll create the tension you need! By the time we get that treasure, neither will be speakin' to each other!" He gave the others a cold smile, and said, "I highly doubt that both of em would be together any longer."

Sonny immediately climbed up the stairs as quietly as possible. She had heard enough. She knew that she had to tell her lady about what she had learned. Sonny's deepest suspicions had been confirmed. Silver is definitely somebody one shouldn't trust.

Sonny ran back to her room. Thank goodness, she had found Emerald there. Emerald was already preparing to sleep on the hammock. "There you are, Sonny. I was worried about you. Are you alright?"

Sonny bowed. "I am fine, my lady. I do have news for you. I have a warning for you."

Emerald blinked in confusion. "Yes. What is it?"

Sonny did everything to stop herself from panicking. "I have overheard a conversation between Silver and the other members of the crew. They aren't who we think they are. They are pirates. They are after the treasure. They plan on ruining your friendship with Jim. I heard them say that you are of use to them. As soon as you had served your use, they'll kill you."

Sonny looked into Emerald's eyes. Sonny saw confusion in the princess's eyes. Emerald shook her head and said. "I'm sorry, Sonny, but I doubt the credibility of your story."

"My lady," Sonny protested.

"Silver has been nothing but nice to me, so I highly doubt that he'll try to do such," Emerald said. She looked at Sonny worriedly and said, "You're not yet okay, Sonny. You're still battered and injured. I think what you have seen was caused by your imagination."

"My lady, please listen to me," Sonny said frantically.

"Sonny," Emerald said tiredly. "Stop it, please. What you're saying is not true."

Sonny held Emerald's hand and said, "My lady," she paused for a while before continuing. "Have I ever lied to you?"

Emerald gulped. "No," she finally said. "You have always had my best interests at heart, and you were always truthful. But, what you're saying couldn't make sense. You must be very tired. You'd better rest. Your fatigue caused you to see delusions."

"But—" Sonny said.

Emerald glared at her. "Sonny, I will not have any more talk regarding this matter. Understand?"

Sonny wanted to argue. She cared more about the princess's safety more than anything. On the other hand, this is an order from the princess herself. Sonny bowed, lower than usual. "Of course. As you wish, my lady. Forgive me." Sonny straightened up, and said, "My lady, it will be better if I sleep on the hammock. It's more comfortable for you to sleep on the bed."

Emerald shook her head. "There's no need. After all, you're injured. It's better if you sleep on the bed."

"I'm fine," Sonny said. She helped Emerald walk to the bed. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Sonny, but I could do it on my own."

Sonny smiled back. "Sweet dreams, my lady."

And with that, both of them went to sleep.

**Before I go, I'd like to leave an activity for my readers. While writing the next chapter, I'd like my readers to participate in a poll. I'd like to know who is the readers' favorite character. To participate in the poll, send me a message with the name of your favorite character in it. By next week, I shall post the results at the end of the new chapter. Vote only once per reader, and you could vote for any character, either from the original Treasure Planet cast, or from the OCs that I have introduced. Okay, I'll tell you that my favorite character is Sonny. :D Anyways, adios for now!**


End file.
